ANA SUPPORTS, CATY DECLINES, BRUCIAK, MARTINEZ GET OPPORTUNITY, GBIC NEEDS NEW BOARD!

Baby, I'm a man, maybe I'm a lonely man

Who's in the middle of something

That he doesn't really understand.

Baby, I'm a man,

And maybe you're the only woman who could ever help me.

Baby, won't you help me to understand?

"Maybe I'm Amazed"

Paul McCartney

Ana Adiong

My late wife Nena told me during her last year:  "Jim, I don't want you to be alone.  I'm serious.  After I die, you need to find someone."

Perhaps, Nena knew that in our 50 years together she herself had created in me a dependency, an absolute need for a strong female partner in my life.  

As many of you know, this past November, by chance, blind luck, Fate or whatever, I stumbled upon such a woman in Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Ana Adiong.  

Nothing I do is done without her knowledge, input and support.

CATY PRESAS-GARCIA BOWS OUT OF WHINE & CHEEZ PODCAST

From the editor:  We received this message from Caty Presas-Garcia moments ago:

Good afternoon,
I would like to thank you and Mr. Erasmo Castro for reaching out to me and inviting me to attend on Sunday , March 24th Podcast. Unfortunate, I’m unable to attend due to a prior business commitment in Zacatecas, Mexico .. I sincerely apologize to your viewers .. I will be at the Board of Realtors Meet & Greet on April 4th 5:30 to 7:00 p.m . The Board of Realtors Invited the Public to join us on this event .

So, it looks like incumbent Jessica Tetreau and former Mayor Pat Ahumada, both running for City Commissioner Distict 2, will be our guests Sunday, March 24 at 1:30 PM for the live stream podcast from "Angelita's Casa de Cafe, 2200 Boca Chica Blvd.

There will be no podcast 3/31 as Erasmo will be in Philadelphia.  The program will resume 4/7.

WILL BRUCIAK AND MARTINEZ SEIZE THIS OPPORTUNITY?

BPUB CEO John Bruciak

Perhaps the most frequent question asked on the Whine and Cheez podcast has been about the money raised via a utility rate increase for the Tenaska Power Plant, a plant that has not been nor is likely to ever be built.

John Bruciak, CEO of the utility and Mayor Tony Martinez, the mayor of Brownsville during the rate hike, but also an ex-officio PUB Board member have an extraordinary opportunity.

They've both been invited on the 4/14/19 edition of Whine & Cheez to answer the following:  

1. What is the current status of the Tenaska Power Plant?
2. How much money has been generated by the utility rate increases?
3. Has any of the funding generated been spent, and, if so, how?
4. How much is left of the money generated by the rate increases?
5. Proof of what exactly was told the rate-paying public at the time of the rate raises. 

Yes, it will take intestinal fortitude to appear, but what an opportunity for both men to show the ratepayers of Brownsville their honesty and integrity!

WE DESPERATELY NEED A NEW GBIC BOARD

Yet again, the GBIC Board had difficulty reaching a mere quorum of 3.  At 5:30 PM, the announced and published time of the meeting, only Chairman Esteban Guerra was present.  

Commissioner Ricardo Longoria, Jr. came in a bit late and Board member Pedro Cardenas appeared at 5:42, after going AWOL the last two meetings.

This board, responsible for allocating nearly $5 million in sales tax dollars annually, desperately needs new blood.

Commissioners Longoria and Tetreau need to be replaced.  De Leon has already resigned.(The principal idea behind such 4A monies is that they be separated from politics.)

Pedro Cardenas needs to be replaced by someone who cares enough to attend and be on time.

Here are a few quality replacements, if available, people who would take this board seriously:

Daniel Lenz

Teresa Saldivar

Dino X. Chavez

Jeff Duvall

Chris Hughston

Craig Grove

Mary S. Rey

In terms of transparency,  GBIC Director Mario Lozoya gets an "F."  Today, Lozoya presented this agenda item in a public meeting:  "Discussion and possible action on GBIC Lease of Young House to present to COB City Manager."(The Young House is owned by the City of Brownsville.)

Lozoya mentions that this proposed lease was brought up at the last meeting, but that the board requested a lower lease rate.  He does not mention the former lease rate.

Then, without mentioning the new lease rate, Lozoya calls for the board's approval.  It is approved unanimously in a so-called public meeting to the taxpayers without stating the actual lease rate.  Unbelievable!

On my way out of the room, I stopped and asked City Finance Director Lupe Granado how much the lease was for.  He answered $1,000, which doesn't sound high, although it's likely only for an office or two in the house.

But, wrap your head around the voo doo economics:  The GBIC operates on 1/4 cent of every sales tax dollar collected by the city, then pays $1,000 per month of THAT MONEY back to the city in rent for space in a building OWNED by the city.